Scratch-off or instant win lottery tickets have enjoyed immense popularity in the lottery industry for decades. These games offer distinct advantages to the lottery authorities, and are attractive to a broad spectrum of players. However, in order to sustain the public's interest in the instant games, new and different types of games and innovations are being constantly developed by the lottery industry.
One method of increasing interest in instant win tickets is to produce higher payout prizes. However, most lottery jurisdictions regulate payout percentages by charter and therefore cannot utilize higher payout tickets as a means of increasing sales.
Another method to increase instant win ticket sales is to expand distribution of the tickets to new locations, such as super market checkout lanes, restaurants, and so forth. However, the logistics, accountability, and security issues associated with placing instant lottery tickets in higher traffic locations are problematic and often impractical.
Still another method is to create a more “exciting” instant ticket by expanding the limited amount of play area (a.k.a. scratch-off area) to create an extended play experience. These larger tickets permit larger or multiple play areas (e.g., bingo games). However, the physical size of a ticket can be increased only by a limited amount, and players often perceive that the playing time does not reflect the higher cost of larger tickets.
Recently, electronic game cards have been introduced by the lottery industry. While these devices are in essence the functional equivalent of an instant ticket, they are perceived by the public as adding significant entertainment value to the concept of an instant lottery game. However, these electronic game cards are relatively expensive to manufacture, and the added expense creates decreased payouts and lower prize levels for the consumer, thereby possibly impacting long-term sales. Additionally, the electronic game card presents various logistical challenges. For example, in some game cards, prize payouts are programmed by placement of wire bonding during manufacturing. This method of programming creates numerous challenges in ensuring that each card is affixed with an encrypted lottery barcode that agrees with the card's prize outcome. This problem is especially burdensome when considering that the electronic game cards must be assigned a pseudo-sequential serial number to be compatible with lottery validation systems. Examples of electronic game devices are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2004/0235550 and 2008/0081686.
Interactive lottery games are also known in the art wherein players interact with the gaming authority over a communications network (such as the Internet or a telephone network). For example, games have been proposed whereby a player may purchase a ticket directly from the gaming authority via the Internet and select certain criteria related to the game from a set of different options, such as the numbers the player wishes to play, or the time the ticket is to be activated. Direct interactive games, however, also have certain drawbacks. For example, such games are not popular with lottery ticket retailers because the retailer is unnecessary to initiate or play the game and is thus bypassed by the player. This can significantly reduce customer traffic in the retailer's establishment and, thus, diminish the incentive for the retailer to act as a lottery vendor. Interactive games also suffer the disadvantage of not having an effective method to distribute or award prizes through the retailer. Also, such games often require the player to purchase the ticket with a credit card, which is not legal in all venues.
The present invention relates to a system and method for a lottery game that merges the benefits of an instant win ticket system with the entertainment value of a portable electronic device.